301 E. Huron St.

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

http://a2gov.legistar.com/

Calendar.aspx

City of Ann Arbor

Formal Minutes

Renters Commission

Thursday, February 26, 2026

6:00 PM

Electronic Meeting

RESCHEDULED FROM 2-19-26 Video & Audio Accessible: To listen or speak at public

comment, call 877-853-5247 enter Meeting ID: 935-8080-1941 or to watch or speak at

public comment join the meeting at: a2gov.org/RentersCommissionMeeting

CALL TO ORDER

Chair Ratcliff called the meeting to order at 6:01 PM

ROLL CALL

All members attended the meeting electronically from Ann Arbor, MI.

Also present:

Gayle Rose, University of Michigan Student Legal Services Liaison

Major Stevens, representing the Ann Arbor Tenants Union

Aclesia (Last name unknown), representing the Ann Arbor Tenants

Union

John Reiser, City of Ann Arbor Attorney's Office

Kristen Vander Lugt, City of Ann Arbor Clerk's Office

10 -

Present:

Jordan Else, Robert Droppleman, Rosanita Ratcliff,

Cynthia Harrison, Kimberly Pitts, Michelle Liao, Hanna

Larcinese, Chris Boddy, Toya Pace, and Sheila Rasouli

2 - Dandan Chen, and Travis Radina

Absent:

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Moved by Larcinese, seconded by Pitts, to approve the agenda.

Approved unanimously as presented.

7 - Ratcliff, Pitts, Liao, Larcinese, Boddy, Pace, and Rasouli

Yeas:

Nays:

2 - Chen, and Councilmember Radina

Absent:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Minutes of the January 22, 2026 Renters Commission

4-A

26-0290

Attachments:

Minutes of the 1-22-2026 Renters Commission

Meeting.pdf

Moved by Boddy, seconded by Larcinese, approved unanimously

as presented and forwarded to the City Council.

7 - Ratcliff, Pitts, Liao, Larcinese, Boddy, Pace, and Rasouli

Yeas:

Nays:

2 - Chen, and Councilmember Radina

Absent:

FIRST GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT - THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER

To listen or speak at public comment, call 877-853-5247 enter Meeting ID:

935-8080-1941 or to watch or speak at public comment join the meeting at:

a2gov.org/RentersCommissionMeeting. Press *9 or use the raise hand feature to be

called on to speak.

No speakers.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

None.

NEW BUSINESS

Resolution in Support of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan

7-A

26-0331

Attachments:

Resolution of the Ann Arbor Renters Commission In

Support of the City of Ann Arbor Comprehensive Land Use

Plan.pdf

Moved by Ratcliff, seconded by Larcinese, to approve the

Resolution of the Ann Arbor Renters Commission in Support of the

Comprehensive Land Use Plan as presented.

On a voice vote, the vote was as follows with the chair declaring the

resolution passed unanimously.

Approved resolution reads as follows:

Resolution of the Ann Arbor Renters Commission in Support of the

Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Whereas, the City of Ann Arbor has undertaken the development of

a new Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) to guide long-term

growth, development, and land-use policy across all wards of the

City of Ann Arbor, and the Plan is intended to inform future zoning

updates, infrastructure investments, and community planning over

time;

Whereas, renters constitute a significant and diverse portion of Ann

Arbor’s population, including families, students, workers, and

seniors, with housing needs that vary by income, household size,

accessibility needs, and work patterns;

Whereas, the Ann Arbor Renters Commission supports the creation

of new housing citywide, including mixed-density and mixed-use

neighborhoods, to promote inclusive growth, neighborhood vitality,

and long-term housing stability across all wards, enabling renters to

live near schools, jobs, services, transit, and neighborhood

amenities;

Whereas, the Renters Commission supports a housing vision that

includes a broad range of options, including deeply affordable

housing, workforce housing, and units that accommodate larger

family sizes or households requiring additional space for

caregiving, accessibility needs, or home office use;

Whereas, mixed-use development and in-neighborhood rental

housing present opportunities to more equitably distribute essential

amenities, recreational and leisure opportunities, and longterm

rental options throughout neighborhoods, rather than

concentrating rental housing at neighborhood edges, thereby

supporting social inclusion, neighborhood cohesion, and equitable

access to community resources.

Resolved, that the Ann Arbor Renters Commission expresses its

support for the City of Ann Arbor’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan

and its emphasis on creating new housing, mixed-density

development, and mixed-use neighborhoods throughout all wards

of the City of Ann Arbor;

Resolved, that the Renters Commission affirms that adoption of the

Comprehensive Land Use Plan is a first step, and that meaningful

impact for renters will depend on timely, concrete, and measurable

implementation actions;

Resolved, that the Renters Commission urges that the

Comprehensive Land Use Plan move beyond exploratory language

and explicitly recommend implementation tools and policy actions

necessary to address the City of Ann Arbor’s housing crisis,

including housing production incentives, anti-displacement

strategies, and strengthened tenant protections;

Resolved, that the Renters Commission encourages the Ann Arbor

City Council to pair adoption of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan

with clear implementation timelines and affordability benchmarks

over the life of the Plan, including targets for deeply affordable,

affordable, and workforce housing, recognizing that the Plan is a

multi-decade policy document;

Resolved, that the Renters Commission urges continued and

strengthened dedication to improving tenant legal rights,

protections, and access to information as land use and

development policies evolve;

Resolved, that the Renters Commission requests ongoing,

structured opportunities to provide renter-centered input as the

Comprehensive Land Use Plan is translated into zoning changes,

housing programs, and implementation strategies;

Resolved, that the Renters Commission, in light of the City of Ann

Arbor’s current affordable housing shortage, urges the Ann Arbor

City Council to adopt safeguards in Transition districts to prioritize

long-term rental housing, including a moratorium of at least two to

five years on new short-term rental units until measurable progress

is made toward increasing long-term affordable housing supply;

Resolved, that, consistent with Michigan Act 226 of 1988 (MCL §

123.411) and in alignment with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan,

the Renters Commission urges the City of Ann Arbor to explicitly

recommend and adopt additional housing production incentives to

expand the supply of low-cost housing, including height flexibility

granted solely for projects that produce affordable housing,

affordability-linked increases to planned unit development (PUD)

unit thresholds, reduced permitting fees for affordable housing

projects, and incentives that increase the creation of project-based

voucher units within new and existing housing

developments.

Yeas:

Nays:

2 - Chen, and Councilmember Radina

Absent:

7-B

26-0347 Presentation from the Ann Arbor Tenants Union (AATU) and Presentation

about AATU Right to Organize Initiative

Attachments:

AATU Presentation for 2-26-2026 Renters Commission

Meeting.pdf, AATU Proposed Right to Organize-Language

for 2-26-2026 Renters Commission Meeting.pdf

representatives. Followed by Renters Commission discussion.

Received and Filed

7-C

26-0354 Discussion and/or Vote on Resolution Requesting a Right to Organize

Ordinance

Attachments:

Ann Arbor Renters Commission Resolution Requesting a

Right to Organize Ordinance.pdf

Moved by Ratcliff, seconded by Larcinese to approve the resolution

as presented.

On a voice vote, the vote was as follows with the chair declaring the

resolution approved as presented.

Approved resolution reads as follows:

Ann Arbor Renters Commission Resolution Requesting a Right to

Organize Ordinance

Whereas, the ability of renters to organize collectively is a

fundamental component of housing stability, tenant protections,

and fair housing practices, and supports safer, healthier living

conditions;

Whereas, renters in Ann Arbor face power imbalances in the rental

housing market that make it difficult for individuals to raise

concerns about habitability, safety, and fair treatment without fear of

retaliation;

Whereas, a Right to Organize ordinance can help protect tenants’

ability to form and participate in tenant organizations, engage in

collective advocacy, and communicate with one another about

housing conditions, while clarifying permissible landlord conduct

and anti-retaliation protections under local law;

Whereas, the Ann Arbor Tenants Union has developed and

presented a proposed Right to Organize ordinance draft to the Ann

Arbor Renters Commission, reflecting renter experiences and

community-based policy development;

Resolved, the Ann Arbor Renters Commission supports the

adoption of a Right to Organize ordinance to protect renters’ ability

to organize collectively and advocate for safe, stable, and fair

housing conditions;

Resolved, the Ann Arbor Renters Commission respectfully requests

that Ann Arbor City Council work collaboratively with the Ann Arbor

Tenants Union, Ann Arbor City staff, housing advocates, property

owners, and other stakeholders to refine, introduce, and adopt a

Right to Organize ordinance for the City of Ann Arbor.

7-D

Plan for Next Meeting

Items discussed to take place at the next meeting:

Right to Repair Ordinance Discussion

Workplan Review

REPORTS

8-A

REPORT FROM COMMISSIONERS

Commissioner Larcinese discussed the possibility of holding a

stakeholder engagement event. Possibil

8-B

8-C

REPORT FROM CITY COUNCIL

No report.

REPORT FROM STAFF LIAISON

Staff provided a brief report about the Rights and Duties booklet and that

the quorum bylaw change will be going to City Council at the next

available meeting.

SECOND GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT - THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER

To listen or speak at public comment, call 877-853-5247 enter Meeting ID:

935-8080-1941 or to watch or speak at public comment join the meeting at:

a2gov.org/RentersCommissionMeeting. Press *9 or use the raise hand feature to be

called on to speak.

No speakers.

COMMUNICATION

Various Communication to the Renters Commission

Attachments: Formal Tenant Complaint – Suspected Utility Meter Fault,

10-A

26-0292

Repeated Overbilling, and Unresolved Maintenance – The

Legacy at Ann Arbor_Redacted.pdf, Support for

CLUP_Redacted.pdf, Please endorse the Comp

Plan_Redacted.pdf, Leasing Ordinance Violations.pdf,

Please don't pass a resolution of support for the

CLUP_Redacted.pdf, putting in a maintenance

request_Redacted.pdf, The CLUP not only fails at

affordability, it exacerbates the problem_Redacted.pdf,

Renter with landlord issues_Redacted.pdf

Received and Filed

ADJOURNMENT

Commission public meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 5:30 PM. These meetings

provide opportunities for the public to address the Commission.

All persons are encouraged to participate in public meetings. Citizens requiring translation or sign

language services or other reasonable accommodations may contact the City Clerk's office at

734.794.6140; via e-mail to: cityclerk@a2gov.org; or by written request addressed and mailed to: City

Clerk's Office, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104.

Requests need to be received at least two (2) business days in advance of the meeting.

Renters Commission meeting agendas and packets are available from the Legislative Information Center

on the City Clerk's page of the City's website (http://a2gov.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx ).